La Mia Famiglia

La Mia Famiglia

Just a tad about me

My photo
God's child. Nick's wife. Roman, Dallon & Rocco's mommy. These are the things I would never change.

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Sunday, May 31, 2009

SAY NO TO CRACK!










Proud Momma

I love my boys so much and am very proud of them for working hard for their good grades!



Roman got a trophy for having A/B Honor Roll all year, an AR Award, Citizenship Award, the Math Award (highest math score in his class all year) and PE Award.





Dallon got S Honor Roll Award all year, an AR Award, Citizenship Award.


Saturday, May 30, 2009

Yet Another Favorite Thing, a new one

My new favorite song...bet this would've sounded good in my 300zx back in 1993ish.. I had that boom boom pow..

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Almost Wordless Wednesday




Thought it would be appropriate to post these two pics of the first day of school... Sniff Sniff..since we're almost to the end of the school year... sniff sniff.. My boys are growing too fast..
PS ~ These are two of the BEST teachers! (Mrs. Graves - K, Mrs. Lawrence - 3rd)
I HIGHLY recommend them..

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Ice Meem

The boys enoying some ice cream one night last week.
Or, "Ice Meem", as Rocco calls it.



Thursday, May 21, 2009

Fun in the...well, rain

So, Roman asked if the boys could play in the water. I thought, sure, what could a few puddles hurt? Well, this is what I found! Two choices: 1) Freak out, spoil the fun, make everyone come inside and shower because that's gross and there could be snakes and who knows what else in that ditch!!! OR 2) Grab the camera... Hmmmm???... No choice! This is the good stuff!





Tuesday, May 12, 2009

Giving children an allowance

This was really good so I wanted to share. Numbers 7=10 really spoke to me.. We are about to start an allowance system and I'm so glad I read this before we do!

Giving children an allowance


“For whom the Lord loves He reproves, even as a father corrects the son in whom he delights” (Proverbs 3:12). Normally, during the first 10 years the basic attitudes of children are being formed.

Unfortunately however, it appears that discipline in spending is one attitude that has proved to be lacking.

A recent survey reports that although teens spend more than $80 billion a year, of which the majority has been funded by parental allowances, fewer than half know the basics about credit, checking, savings accounts, or auto insurance.

There is no such thing in God's economy as an allowance.

The word allowance is a misnomer, because it means something that is given to someone and was not earned.

Although it is important that children receive money of their own—either through allowances or payment for jobs completed, so that they can begin to learn how to handle money wisely—parents need to be careful that they do not train their children to expect allowances rather than to work for what they need.

Rather than giving their children an allowance without any accountability, parents really need to teach their children financial responsibility with any money they receive.

Establishing an allowance
Setting up a successful allowance means talking with your children about what the allowance will cover, how they can spend it, consequences of overspending, how much should be saved, and how much should be given to the Lord's work.

A weekly income helps children learn money management, responsibility, values, goal setting, and planning. They also experience the consequences of making financial mistakes.

Parents, in turn, are freed from the chore of being their children's bank tellers, and they'll find it easier to track how much money their children spend.

In order to ensure balance, parents need to be careful about setting allowance amounts. Children's allowances should be enough to look forward to, enough to enable parents to begin teaching them God's financial principles but not enough that all their wants and desires are met and they have no need for extra jobs.

Ultimately parents need to wean their children off allowances and onto their own earned income.

Therefore parents need to make sure that children's allowance raises do not keep pace, percentage wise, with their budgets. Their allowance should become an ever-decreasing portion of their budget.

Allowance guidelines

  1. Allowance amounts depend on several factors: age, maturity level, interests, responsibilities, and the family's financial situation. Give enough to encourage giving to the Lord and saving, but don't give too much.
  2. At the beginning of each school year, sit down with children to discuss the allowance. Decide what things the allowance will cover.
  3. Let children make decisions and mistakes with their allowance. Monitor spending and don't give them more money when they overspend.
  4. Put the allowance agreement and guidelines in writing, including the amount, what day it is given, what it covers, and any restrictions.
  5. To keep up with children's changing needs and current costs, review and adjust the allowance agreement regularly.
  6. Be consistent: set a specific time and day to give the allowance and stick to it.
  7. Don't link allowance to routine household chores. Children have chores because they're members of the family; they get an allowance to learn how to handle money. Linking the two may result in children who won't do anything without pay or children who decide the money isn't worth the work.
  8. Don't link allowances to behavior; it confuses the issue and can become a source of conflict and manipulation. Don't use an allowance to punish.
  9. Don't use allowance as a bribe for good behavior. It's okay to reward children for courage or especially good behavior, if the reward is given after the fact.
  10. Be a good role model. Parents should teach their children that God owns everything by allowing them to see this principle at work in their lives, that the first portion of their allowance belongs to God, that they need to live on a budget, and that they need to exercise self-control and discipline in their spending.

Extra money
All children need some basic responsibilities for which they are not paid. Children make their beds because they sleep in them. Children help with dishes because they eat food and dirty the dishes. Children put dirty clothes in the laundry because they wear them, dirty them, and need them clean again.

As children get older, if they complete tasks over and above their regular chores—gardening, washing the car, cleaning the basement—it's fine to pay extra for the extra work. If children say that they really need something, provide opportunities for them to earn the money, do not just give it to them.

However, the parent must be fair and pay the children equitably, according to what the parents are able to afford.

Before they get paid the parent should make sure that the children have done quality work, they have finished the jobs, and the parent knows and has approved how the money will be spent.

Conclusion
Each parent and child takes on certain responsibilities and also gains certain benefits from being a family member, much like the relationship of each believer in God's family.

We each have certain responsibilities that must be carried out if the family is to work together, children included. Each family member receives benefits that come from working together and benefits from simply being a member of the family (such as an allowance).

By teaching that each family works and lives together for mutual growth and benefit, and putting allowances in that light, parents and children alike can establish the right attitudes and principles. The key is to give children their allowances and require them to do their household chores without tying the two together like a work-for-hire agreement.

We have responsibilities toward God in working for His good, but we also receive many blessings simply for being His children. We must use God as the best example of parenthood to our children because He balances gifts and rewards perfectly.

Monday, May 11, 2009

West Nassau High School Prom


Nick & I chaperone the West Nassau High School Prom every year. Out of the 12 years he has been teaching I think I've missed just one, the year I had Rocco. Some of you remember the difficult time I had after that precious boy's birth.


First we went out to eat at Chili's. That was kinda of weird because we were so dressed up. The service was terrible, which surprised us because we love Chili's. (That's where we had our first date in February 1996.) I had the Buffalo Bite sandwiches (Yum-O) and Nick had the same-ole-same-ole, Cajun Chicken Pasta. Ofcourse we enjoyed chips & salsa first.


After Chili's we went to the prom, at Alltel. It was nice, as usual. One our favorite things to do is pick out our favorite dress. (Don't tell Nick I told you he likes to do that too.) This year there were several I liked. I will tell you that I don't think the short ones are dressy enough to be 'prom' dresses. I know mine was short but I'm a chaperone, so I'm not supposed to be as dressy. My favorite was gorgeous! It was a dark blue on the bottom and shimmery stones on the top, all the way down to the buttocks. (Did I really just say that?) You really had to have the right figure to wear that dress and that girl did!!


We enjoyed our annual meeting at the round table with Brian Simmons. We missed Audie & Pam Ash.. The food was cut WAY back so I'm glad we went out to eat first! I tried to talk Nick out of it, "They always have a big spread there." Must have been a budget cut..


We had a great time. We served at the souvenier booth from 10:45-11:15 then made it home by 12am. There was one sweet girl who open her souvenier frame and handed it right back to us saying, "This isn't the right one, that's not us." LOL I felt so bad for her, Nick just rolled with it and gave her another one saying, "I'm so sorry. I must have switched them, this is yours." I guess she thought it was like at the ammusement parks where you pick up your picture afterwards.. I told Nick we should have told her it was the King & Queen's picture. I did feel bad though. We have ALL had 'those' moments..

One more prom down.. I missed my own so I make sure to go every year now.

Saturday, May 9, 2009

Another Favorite! Whoa - this is old school but still gives me goosebumps!!

This goes right along with what Bro. Wayne was teaching about Wednesday night.


Who loves The Orange County Supertones? We do!





Lyrics Supertones - Grounded lyrics

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Happy Weary Mothers Day

Thanks to Christen Hinson for this!! (I've been feeling the same way!) And thanks to Carolyn Mahaney.. http://girltalk.blogs.com/

A Weary Mother's Day, posted by Carolyn Mahaney
Her children rise up and call her blessed. Proverbs 31:28Do you have a hard time picturing this ever happening to you?Oh sure, your kids “rise up”--all the time! Your baby may “rise up” and call (very loudly) at 1:00 am and 2:30 am and 5:00 am. Your toddler might “rise up” with temper tantrums or endless calls to meet his needs. Your school-age child might “rise up” and call you to take her to this activity and help her with that book report. Your teenager may “rise up” in anger at your decisions and call you “strict” or “unfair.” It may be very hard to imagine your children ever rising up to obey you, rising up to ask for your advice, rising up to thank you, rising up to follow your example, rising up to serve you, rising up to call you blessed. In fact, you’d settle for just fifteen minutes of not rising up so you could get a nap! You’re plumb tired. Weary. Worn out. Frankly, your idea of a happy Mother’s Day would be to sleep right through and wake up on the other side. Motherhood can be exhausting; doubly so if we don’t think we’re making any progress. But we must remember the simple yet strength-infusing truth that faithful mothering requires faithful sowing. Ours isn’t a work that yields instant gratification. It requires a lot of sowing (and not a lot of reaping) for a lot of years. But the rewards will come. Scripture exhorts the weary mom to “not grow weary of doing good.” And Scripture promises the weary mom that “in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9) Read those words again: WE WILL REAP. It’s a promise we can bank on. It might still be a Weary Mother’s Day. The “rising up” of sin and of needs won’t stop for the day. But it can be a Happy Weary Mother’s Day as your soul finds rest in the truth of God’s promises.

Monday, May 4, 2009

Another one of my favorites!!!!



This time it's our favorite comedian, Brian Regan! He is soooo funny!! We first saw him about 12 years ago in person (thanks to some friends/fellow fans) and have followed him ever since. Hope you enjoy as much as we do! Let me know!! Some of my favorites:


Warning... Make sure you don't have a full bladder.


Jury Duty:



Are you dating anyone:



UPS:



Phones & Codes: